Locals protest mineral prospecting in McGregor Bay

The Green Party is calling on the Government
to send a clear message to Sea Group Holdings Limited that
it will not be allowed to carry out its plans to dredge mine
tailings in in the Schedule 4 protected area of McGregor
Bay.

Coromandel residents and their supporters are
today trying to stop Sea Group Holdings Limited from
carrying out mineral prospecting activities in McGregor
Bay.

“Sea Group Holdings Limited has made it clear
that it intends, after prospecting, to dredge the inner
waters of the Coromandel currently protected under Schedule
4, and the Government needs to tell them it will not be
allowed,” said Green Party mining spokesperson Catherine
Delahunty.“Energy Minister Simon Bridges
has made it clear that Sea Group Holdings would be required
to obtain a mineral mining permit in order to dredge mining
tailings in the sediment of McGregor Bay, and now the
Minister must assure New Zealanders that he won’t ever
grant such a permit.

“This company clearly thinks
this Government will allow them to dredge for minerals in
Schedule 4, which is off limits to mining, but the
Government could save concerned locals and environmentalists
a lot of heartache by categorically out the granting of a
mineral mining permit in McGregor Bay.

“We are
worried because the National Government appears to be
prepared to re-write history and break their promises about
protected land and mining. Why else would they let companies
prospect for minerals on land off-limits to mining?

“This peaceful action today is to highlight to the
National Government and Sea Group Holdings Limited that New
Zealanders love and want to protect our national parks and
wild places; we don’t want to see them dug up,” said Ms
Delahunty.

Reference:•
Question: Catherine Delahunty to the Minister of Energy and
Resources (31 Oct 2013): Does dredging mine tailings from
sediment require a Crown Minerals Act permit as well as a
RMA consent?

Hon Simon Bridges (Minister of Energy
and Resources ) replied: A permit under the Crown Minerals
Act, as well as a RMA consent, would be required to dredge
mine tailings from sediment if the tailings are to be
dredged for the purpose of mining as defined in the Crown
Minerals Act 1991,
http://www.parliament.nz/en-nz/pb/business/qwa/QWA_14255_2013/14255-2013-catherine-delahunty-to-the-minister-of-energy

• Question: Catherine Delahunty to the
Minister of Energy and Resources (15 Nov 2013): Are minerals
in a sediment from mine tailing considered to be a mineral
existing in its natural state in land as defined in the
Crown Minerals Act 1991?

• Sea Group Holdings
Limited’s company director’s stated intention to mine in
the inner waters of the Coromandel, part of Schedule 4:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10855438

• Inner waters of the Coromandel are in
Schedule 4: see clause 12 here,
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1991/0070/latest/DLM247378.html?search=ts_act%40bill%40regulation%40deemedreg_Crown+Minerals+Act_resel_25_a&p=1

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